The Sentinel Mage (The Cursed Kingdoms Trilogy) by Emily Gee

Author:Emily Gee [Gee, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: Solaris
Published: 2013-03-18T06:00:00+00:00

“SHE HAS TO stop drinking the poppy juice!” Karel said. Outside, the sky was darkening and the tenth bell was ringing. “She’s barely aware of anything that happens these days!”

“But how can I refuse it to her?” Yasma asked, wringing her hands.

The door to the bedchamber was closed. The duke had finished his day’s duties and was rutting his wife before dinner, as was his habit. In a few minutes the light would fade from the sky and Duke Rikard would emerge from the bedchamber, his face flushed and smug.

The daydream blossomed in Karel’s mind again: hefting the sword, swinging it, sending the man’s head spinning across the room. He imagined blood spattering across the rugs, the walls, the ceiling.

When Duke Rikard emerged, the princess would remain in bed, lost in poppy-induced dreams. The duke would dine alone and then return to her, closing the door again.

“She needs it,” Yasma said. “Don’t you see?”

Yes, he did see. But he also saw what the poppy juice was doing to her. “It’s destroying her. You must reduce the dose.”

“But she keeps asking for more!” Yasma cried. “How can I refuse her? She saved me!”

Karel took her hands to stop their twisting.

“I was scrubbing floors,” Yasma said, tears in her voice. “One of the armsmen had just come off duty and he...he— And she saw me, Karel. She saw me.”

“Yes, but Yasma—”

“She didn’t have to stop,” Yasma said. “She didn’t have to take me as her maid. She could have walked past.”

“No, she couldn’t. It’s not in her nature.”

Yasma sniffed, and nodded.

“Yasma, if she dies, what will happen to you? You’ll go back to scrubbing floors. Without her protection...”

Yasma’s face was pinched, miserable. “I owe it to her.”

“Reduce the dose,” Karel said. “You must give her less. Otherwise you’ll kill her.”

“But—”

“Reduce it, Yasma. And get her to eat more.”

Yasma ducked her head and nodded.

“Is she drinking the dung-root juice?”

“Yes.”

He squeezed her hands and then released them. “Good.”

The bedchamber door began to open. Yasma scurried over to one of the settles and began rearranging the cushions. Karel stepped back so that his shoulders were against the wall. He lifted his chin and stared stolidly across the salon.

Duke Rikard strolled into the room. His face was as flushed and smug as Karel had imagined. “You,” he said to Yasma. “Go to the kitchen. I’m hungry.”

Karel’s hand flexed near the hilt of his sword. He saw blood in his mind’s eye, a head spinning.

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